Theresa Oliver helps adults to further their education

Theresa Oliver works as executive director of Norristownís Literacy Council, a not-for-profit organization located adjacent the First Presbyterian Church on East Airy Street.
Rick Kauffman/Times Herald Staff

NORRISTOWN – In her line of work, Theresa Oliver has seen her share of life’s ups and downs, but when the going gets tough, she doesn’t shy away from the test.

Oliver works as executive director of the Literacy Councilof Norristown, an adult education service offered nearly free of charge to locals wanting to further their education.

Adults who need help getting GEDs, and generally wanting to improve their workplace, reading, writing and math skills, go to Literacy Council.

Advertisement

The not-for-profit organization located adjacent the First Presbyterian Church on East Airy Street offers an array of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and strives to help adults gain the knowledge needed for getting – and keeping – a job in any field.

Oliver runs the show at Literacy Council and says she has seen people from all walks of life come through her doors.

“Some have been here for many years and never bothered to learn English, some are new arrivals and need to learn English. The vast majority are from Spanish-speaking countries and they are sometimes poorly educated in their own languages, to the point of being illiterate,” she said.

“They’re learning to read and write in English and Spanish at the same time.”

The organization offers classes Monday and Wednesdays in the mornings and evenings, driven by volunteers in the community.

Originally from Philadelphia, Oliver started off at Literacy Council as a volunteer almost 30 years ago. She said she discovered she had a gift for the work, quickly gained a strong following and was assigned her own ESL class. From there, she became an administrative assistant, until she was appointed executive director, having proven her skills in the field.

“I didn’t come in looking for a job. I came to volunteer, and now it’s turned into a career,” she said, giving credit first to her volunteers.

“They’re trained to bridge that (language) gap,” she said.

About two-thirds of the funding for Literacy Council comes from the public sector, in the form of state and federal workforce investment grants through the Pennsylvania Department of Public Education. The rest is from private foundations and grassroots fundraising efforts.

Anywhere from 60 to 80 volunteers come and go from the organization throughout the year, but there seems to be no shortage of hands on deck.

All applicants undergo standardized testing prior to entering their courses so Oliver and her staff can gauge what kind of education and training they need.

“We do a pretty good job of diagnosing their deficiencies, and sometimes they are a little surprised to find out they’ve gone through 9th, 10th and 11th grade in school, but they’re not reading at that level, and it’s a rude awakening for them,” she said.

“The toughest nut with our program is the ABE component (adult basic education). We try to make it so that everybody can come. Even if they can’t afford it, we don’t turn them away.”

Classes are generally $50 per semester, which is 18 weeks, twice a week, with five hours of instruction.

Oliver said the need for services like this in Norristown is huge. As much as 50 percent of the total population might qualify, she said.

“Sometimes, they stay in the shadows,” she said.

“(People) don’t want anybody to know they’re having these difficulties. There is still a stigma attached to it. Because of the poverty and income levels in Norristown being as low as they are, we can only surmise that about half the folks are in need.”

The Council staff consists of about 10, including five, full-time teachers and a student tutor trainer/coordinator. “Everybody wears multiple hats,” said Oliver.

“Even on days we want to pull our hair out, when we start talking to the students and see them accomplishing things, moving forward with their lives and becoming new citizens, it makes me feel good.”

Oliver, a grandmother with three grown children, lives in Norristown with her husband.

Members of the public are invited to a trivia night fundraiser hosted by the Literacy Council on Oct. 19 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Teamsters Local 384 Hall at 2910 Hannah Ave. in Norristown.